Latch



Jan. 9, 19463, 1 .I L. ANDERSON LATCH Filed Oct. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jm/@ffm L. And

M'ome Jan- 9, 1940- l.. l.. ANDERSON 2,186,795

LATCH Filed OCT.. 18, 1937 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 v25 gle holding means, the toggle may be permitted which a pin 9 vpasses,ksuch pin forming the pivot menten.; 9, i940g i 2,186,795

UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE Lloyd L. Anderson, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Winters & Crampton Corporation, Grandville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application October 18, 1937,A Serial No. 169,633

8 Claims. (Cl. 292-64) This invention relates to latches designed parinto U-shaped form; having a .connecting web I ticularly for use with refrigerators and adapted at the innerV side with spaced apart parallel sides to be mounted and housed within va refrigerator 2 extending therefrom- Eachvof said sides at door; -It isof courseto bel understood that the its outer free `ed'geportion is turned at right an- 5 latch is adapted for use on other doors than regies, making attaching ilanges 3 which, as-shown frigerators andis not applicable only to refrigin.Fig. 1, -bear against a part ofthe' refrigerator erators.V y door A Vwhen the latch is vhoused therein, screws It is an object and purpose of the present i'npassing through the attaching an'ges for securvention to produce a practical, serviceable, and ing the latch permanently in place. A bolt guide l economically manufactured latch which, when in the form of a U-shaped stirrup is provided, 10 applied to a door and the latch bolt engaged having sides 4 connected by a cross member 5. with a keeper on a cooperating door iframe or This guide is located between the sides 2 of the jamb, securely holds the door in closed position. supporting housing, as shown., in Figs. 3 and 4, A further object of the invention is to provide a said sides 4 having a permanent connection by l5 latch in which the latch bolt is one member of spot welding or otherwise, to the sides 2 of the V a toggle structure, the bolt having a hinged conhousing. nection to the other member thereof at the knee 'I'he latch bolt comprises a keeper engaging or knuckle of the toggle, and to releasably hold. head'i lmade preferably from Bakelite, though the knee or knuckle of the toggle against breakanysuitable material may be used. Flat bars 1 ing whereby the latch bolt, so long as the holding ...at their outer ends are set into the sides of the 20 or toggle breaking stopping means is in position, j head v6 and permanently secured thereto. Said will securely engage withfthe keeper to hold the bars extend inwardly from the bolt in spaced door closed. However, through anyv suitable apart relation andat their inner end portions manually operable means for releasing said toghave'` longitudinal slots 8 cut therein' through to break and the latch bolt disengage from the" at the-knee or knuckle of the toggle structure to keeper for opening the door. Further,l in closing which reference has been made. the door the bolt is provided with yielding spring 'Ihe toggle structure is completed by a memmeans whereby it may move bodily inward with ber which is formed from ilat metal with two respect to the door on which it is mounted .so as spaced apart arms III connected adjacent one 30 to pass over a cam on the keeper and then, under vend by cross .bar' II .integral therewith. The the action of the spring, project into the recess arms I0 cornewithin .the inner sides of the arm of the keeper. l and the pin 9 passes through the outer end An understanding of the invention may be had portions of said arms I0 while asecond pin I2 from the following description, reference being mounted on and extending between the sides 2 vof made -to the accompanying drawings, in which: the supporting member of the ylatch passes' Fig. 1 is a fragmentary. horizontal section through the inner end/portions of' said arms Ill. through the free vertical edge portion of a door This construtlon provides a toggle, the arms I0 and the adjacent refrigerator casing on which being adapted to turn about the axis of the pin 40 the keeper is mounted, the latch being shown in I2 whereupon the latch bolt is retracted and its 40 plan and with the bolt engaged with the keeper. inner end portion turned inwardly as shown in Fig. 2 is a vertical section substantially on the Fig. 4.

plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direc- A member I3 of iiat metal is mounted on the tion-indicated by the arrows. pin 9 substantially midway between its ends and Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section through the latch extends toward the bolt head 6 from which a 45 between its opposed sides. Y projection ,I4 extends toward the member I3. A Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the latch bolt coiled compression spring I5k has its end 'portions retracted, and passing over the member I3 and the projection Fig. 5 is a lsection substantially on the plane I4, the effect of the spring being to normally 5u of liney .fi-liv of Fig. 3, looking in the direction move the bolt to outer position. However, when 5u indicated. o a suitable force is applied against the bolt head Like reference characters refer to like parts 6 the bolt consisting of said head 6 and the bars in the different iigures of the drawings. 1, may be moved bodily inward for a distance In the construction of the latch, a supporting which is controlled by the length of the slots 8. 5 housing is provided, made from ilat metal pressed A pin I6 is located between the sides 2 of the 5 vthe latch bolt and the arms support and carried thereon in front of the pivot pin 9 of the knee or knuckle of the toggle when the bolt is in its operative latching position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Qn the pin I6 a toggle holding or stop member is pivotally mounted, formed from a single piece of dat metal with spaced apart sides I1 connected at their outer ends by an integral cross member I8. The sides I1 are provided with curved slots I9 as shown through which the ends of the pin 3 extend. The sides I1 are located against the outer sides of the bars 1 as shown in Fig. 5.

With the latch in its operative latching position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the pin 9 is in the upper ends of the curved slots I9 which curve away from the pin toward the direction of the free edge of the door in which the latch is mounted so that the pin has a bearing against the lower sides of the upper end portions of the slots. A coiled torsion spring 20 surrounds the pin I6 and has one arm at an end thereof resting against the inner side of the connecting bar I8 and the other arm 22 against a lip 23 which is struck from an adjacent side 2 of the latch housing or support. The tendency of the spring is to rotate the stop or holding member consisting oi the parts I1 and I3 in a counterclockwise direction or to the position shown in Figs. l and 3. In such position the toggle lever is securely held against breaking at the knee or knuckle because of an impossibility of the pin 9 moving toward the iront of the door, being stopped against such movement by the parts of the sides I1 which extend under the pin 8 toward the slots I9.

The sides I1 of said holding member are provided with laterally extending arms 24 at their outerv end portions and to one side thereof, through which arms a pin 25 extends. A fork 23 has the two branches thereof'connected to the opposite ends of the pin 25 outside of the arms 2l. A pin 21 is connected to the fork-at its middle portion and extends outwardly and passes through the front side of the door A as shown in Figs. l and 2. A vertically positioned handle 28, having a central web 29, is secured to the door, the pin 21 extending into a recess in said web and being surrounded within said recessl by a compression spring 30. A manually operable push bar 3i is mounted on the'handle, the handle being vertically slotted for projection of the narrower portion of the handle through said slot. The inner part of the handle has laterally extending ribs 32 against which the spring 33 engages at one end to normally hold the push bar 3| in its outer position, the handle being stopped at its outer position by engagement of the ribs 32 against the bottom of the recess within the web 29 of the handle. Pushing inward on the operating push bar 3I compresses the spring 30 and moves the pin or rod 21 inwardly, thereby turning the toggle holding stop member in a clockwise direction. Such turning movement not only frees the pin 9 of the stop which has held it, but at the same time the curved outer sides of the slots I9 act as cams against said pin 9 to move it thereby not-only breaking the toggle consisting o I0 toward the posiaway from the web I, the'toggle, but moving tion shown in Fig. 4.

The means shown and described for releasing and breaking the toggle structure is one only of a great many that can be used; therefore the invention is not to be limited in any respect to the specic manually operable toggle releasing means shown and specifically described.

y tudinally inward and On the front door frame of the refrigerator B a suitable -keeper 33 of conventional design is secured, having a recess to receive the head 6 of the latch bolt in front of which is a cam for the rear cam side of the bolt to ride over in closing the door. The spring 20, with the door in open position, and the push bar 3| released, will move the parts of the latch to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. When the door is closed the cam inner or rear side of the bolt 6 rides over the cam portion of the keeper 33, moving the bolt longicompressing spring I5 until the bolt has passed beyond the cam on the keeper whereupon the bolt is projected Yinto the recess of the keeper by the spring I5.

As is common in refrigerator constructions, a cushioning compressible gasket 3|, usually of rubber, is secured at the rear side of a projecting lip or riser 35 at the free edges of the refrigerator door. This gasket is compressed when the door is closed and the latch has engaged with the keeper, and provides a very secure seal to the door, preventing escape of refrigerated air or the entrance of warmer air from the outside.

In releasing the latch from the door it is necessary merely to clasp the handle 28 and with the palm of the hand push inwardly on the push bar 3|. This moves the holding member for the toggle latch structure to release the pin 9 at the knee or knuckle of the toggle and move the same outwardly for a distance. As soon as the toggle is broken the force of the compressed gasket 34 acts to move the door outward and away from the side of the refrigerator to which it has been latched, and acts to turn the parts of the latch still farther in the direction toward which they were started by operation of the push bar 3|, or eventually to the position shown in Fig. 4 in which the latch bolt is free of the keeper and the door may be readily opened. Then, as soon as the push bar 3i is released, the door being open, the latch parts assume the position such as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The door closing operation consists in swinging the door to closed position with the head 6 of the latch bolt riding on the cam 0f the keeper until it reaches the keeper recess and thereupon it is projected into said recess by the spring I5.

The structure described is relatively simple, economically manufactured, durable and sure in its service and operation.

The invention is defined in the appendedV claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming Within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a latch structure, a support having spaced apart sides, a latch bolt located between the sides of the support, a guide carried by said support for the latch bolt, a member pivotally mounted at 011e end between the sides of the support and having a direct pivotal connection at its opposite end to the inner end of the latch bolt, thereby prolviding a toggle structure, stop means mounted on said support having a connection with said toggle structure at its breaking point` whereby movement of said stop means will cause a pivotal movement of said toggle structure.

2. In a latch structure, a supporting housing, a member pivotally mounted at one end near one end of the housing and within the same, a latch bolt adapted to be located in alinement with said member, a guide for the outer end of the latch bolt, a pivot pin directly connecting said member and latch bolt whereby when said member is pivotally turned in one direction the latch bolt is carried inwardly and simultaneously tilted, and a releasable holding means connected with said pivot pin and serving as a stop therefor, to hold it against movement and thereby prevent pivotal movement of said member, combined with means for manually moving said holding means thereby causing a pivotal movement of said pivot pin, as specified.

.3. A latch structure comprising, a U-shaped support having spaced apart sides connected by a web extending between said sides at one edge thereof, a 'guide secured to and lying between the sides of the support, a latch bolt including a head and bars extending therefrom mounted for movement in the guide, a member pivotally mounted on and between the sides of the support and adapted to be located in alinement ywith said latch bolt, a pivot pin extending through the inner end of said member and through the latch Y bolt bars, a second member movably mounted on andbetween the sides of said support extending toward and around said pivot pin and serving as a stop therefor to hold the pivot pin and assoelated parts against movement away virom said web, and manually operable means for rmoving saldholding memberto thereby move said pivot pin, and cause armovementthereof and of the' parts associated and connected therewith away from said web, as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a latch structure, a support, a latch bolt, a member pivotally connected directly to the inner end of the latch bolt, said member being pivotally connected to the support at its ,opposite end thereby providing a toggle structure having a breaking point at the inner end of the latch bolt, movable means mountedy on said support adapted to engage with said toggle structure at said breaking point to hold. the joint between the latch bolt and said member against breaking and thereby hold said mentioned member of the toggle structure against pivotal movement, and

manually operable means for moving said hold-A ing member to thereby positively break the toggle structure, as specified.

5. In a latch structure, a support oi.' 'YU-shape,

having spaced y,apart sides and a connectlng'web joining said sides at one of their longitudinal edges, a member pivotally mounted at one e'nd adjacent said web and adjacent one end of and between the sides of said support, lsaid member being adapted' to extend in parallel relation to and closely adjacent said web, a latch bolt pivotally connected directly to the opposite end of said member and adapted to lie substantially par-v allel to and closely adjacent said web, a guide for the outer end of the latch bolt carried by the support, a second member pivotally mounted on and between the sides of said support at a distance away from the web, the axis of its pivotal mounting and the axis of the pivotal connection of said latch bolt and first member lying in a plane lo` cated substantially at right angles to the plane of said web, said second member being adapted to engage with the pivotal connection of the latch bolt and said first member to hold said latch bolt and connected member against movement away from said web, and manually operable means for moving said second member to thereby force a pivotal movement of said latch bolt andY con- :member pivotally mounted at one end between the sides of the support and adjacent the opposite end of said support, a latch bolt guided at its outer end in said guide and having pivotal connection at its inner end to the other end of said member, said latch bolt and member normally lying in alinement and substantially parallel to the web, .and means movably mounted on said support between the sides thereof at a distance away from the web and extending around said pivotal connection acting to hold said latch bolt and member to which it is pivotally connected from movement, combined with manually oper able means for moving said last mentioned means to thereby force a movement oi said pivotal connection whereby the latch bolt is positively retracted, substantially as described. 8. In a latch structure, a support of U-shape having'spaced apart sides and a connecting web between said sides at one of their, longitudinal edges, a member pivotally mounted at one end adjacent said web and adjacent one end of and between the sides of said support, sald member normally being adapted to extend in substantially parallel relation to and closely adjacent said web, a latch bolt comprising, an outer head and bars attached one to each side thereof extending inwardly therefrom and normally adapted to lie substantially parallel to and closely adjacent said web, said bars at their inner end portion being longitudinally slotted, said bars and the inner end of said member overlapping each other, a pivot support at a distance away from the web, ,the axis of its pivotal mounting and the axis of the pivot pin connecting the iirst member and bolt lying in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of said web, said member having spaced apart sidesand said sides having curved slots therein through which the pivot pin connecting the bolt and the iirst member passes, the slots being so located that when' the member is dis-'- posed substantially at right angles to the connected bolt and iirst member said pivot pin is in the inner ends of the slots and held against movement away from the web, and manually operable meansfor moving saidfsecond member to release said pivot pin, substantially as described.

LLOYD L. ANDERSON.

' otally mounted on and between th sides of said 

